My Foundation: Our Divine Identity and Purpose—Maximum Time: 20 Minutes

Ponder:

What is the worth of my soul to God?

Read:

“Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; for, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him” (Doctrine and Covenants 18:10–11).

Watch:

“Our True Identity,” available at https://churchofjesuschrist.org/study/video/self-reliance-videos [3:39]. (No video? Read the transcript for “Our True Identity.”)

Our True Identity

If you are unable to watch the video, read this script.

swan painting

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf:

Much of the confusion we experience in this life comes from simply not understanding who we are.

One of the most beloved storytellers of all time was the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen. In one of his stories, “The Ugly Duckling,” a mother duck discovers that one of her newly hatched chicks is unusually large and very ugly. The other ducklings cannot leave the ugly child alone. They punish him mercilessly.

The ugly duckling decides it would be better for everyone if he left his family, and so he ran away. Then one day he sees flying overhead a flock of majestic birds. He takes flight and follows them to a beautiful lake. The ugly duckling looks into the water and sees a reflection of a magnificent swan. The ugly duckling realizes that the reflection is his own! He has discovered who he really is.

Think of where you come from. You are sons and daughters of the greatest, most glorious being in the universe. He loves you with an infinite love. He wants the best for you. This knowledge changes everything. It changes your present. It can change your future. And it can change the world.

If only we understood who we are and what is in store for us, our hearts would overflow with such gratitude and happiness that it would enlighten even the darkest sorrows with the light and love of God.

Of course there will always be voices telling you that you are foolish to believe that you are swans, insisting that you are but ugly ducklings and that you can’t expect to become anything else. But you know better. You are no ordinary beings. You are glorious and eternal.

I plead with you—just look into the water and see your true reflection! It is my prayer and blessing that when you look at your reflection, you will be able to see beyond imperfections and self-doubts and recognize who you truly are: glorious sons and daughters of Almighty God. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Read:

The following statements by Church leaders:

“You are a child of God. He is the Father of your spirit. Spiritually you are of noble birth, the offspring of the King of Heaven. Fix that truth in your mind and hold to it” (Boyd K. Packer, “To Young Women and Men,” Ensign, May 1989, 54).

“Be careful how you characterize yourself. Don’t characterize or define yourself by some temporary quality. The only single quality that should characterize us is that we are a son or daughter of God. That fact transcends all other characteristics, including race, occupation, physical characteristics, honors, or even religious affiliation” (Dallin H. Oaks, “How to Define Yourself,” New Era, June 2013, 48).

“You are unique. One of a kind, made of the eternal intelligence which gives you claim upon eternal life.

“Let there be no question in your mind about your value as an individual. The whole intent of the gospel plan is to provide an opportunity for each of you to reach your fullest potential, which is eternal progression and the possibility of godhood” (Spencer W. Kimball, “Privileges and Responsibilities of Sisters,” Ensign, Nov. 1978, 105).

Discuss:

Why is remembering our true identity and potential so important?

ACTIVITY (5 minutes)

Read: Heavenly Father wants us to value ourselves the way He sees us and not as the world judges. Satan uses discouragement to cause us to doubt God’s love for us and our divine nature and purpose.

Step 1: With a partner, read the differences between worth and worthiness in the table below (see Joy D. Jones, “Value beyond Measure,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 13–15).

Worth	Worthiness
Worth Our worth to God never changes.	Worthiness Our worthiness does change.
Worth Our worth was determined before we ever came to earth. We are everything to God.	Worthiness Our worthiness is achieved through obedience.
Worth God’s love for us is infinite and eternal. We don’t have to “earn” it.	Worthiness If we sin, we are less worthy but never worth less to God. We still matter to Him.
Worth God wants us to see ourselves and others as He sees us.	Worthiness God wants us to continue to repent so we can be worthy of all the blessings He wants to give us.

Step 2: Discuss with your partner why Satan would want us to believe our worth and worthiness are the same. How does thinking poorly about ourselves hold us back?

Read:

“We cannot gauge the worth of another soul any more than we can measure the span of the universe. Every person we meet is a VIP to our Heavenly Father. Once we understand that, we can begin to understand how we should treat our fellowmen” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “You Are My Hands,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 69).

Discuss:

Why is it important to see others as God sees them? How can we develop this spiritual gift?

Commit:

I will identify one way to remember my divine identity this week.